1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the conjoint production of ethylenediamine and N-aminoethylpiperazine from piperazine.
More particularly, this invention is directed to a process wherein piperazine is reacted with ammonia in the presence of hydrogen and a reductive amination catalyst and in the optional presence of water to provide a reaction product comprising a predominant amount of ethylenediamine and N-aminoethylpiperazine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known, as illustrated for example by Moss et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,037,023, to prepare heterocyclic compounds such as piperazine by the reductive amination of a feedstock such as monoethanolamine in the presence of hydrogen, ammonia and water and a reductive amination catalyst.
It is also known to prepare a plurality of compounds using the reductive reamination reaction. For example, Moss et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,151,115 is directed to a two-step process for the manufacture of piperazine and N-aminoethylpiperazine; Muhlbauer at al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,297,700 is directed to a process for the preparation of piperazine and aminoethylpiperazine from monoethanolamine.
Cour et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,341,600 is directed to the simultaneous production of N-aminoethylpiperazine, N-hydroxyethylpiperazine and aminoethylethanolamine from monoethanolamine.